NHL schedule: Alex Ovechkin scores 400th goal in Caps’ victory

“Shane is receiving antibiotics for Rocky Mountain spotted fever symptoms and he’s showing improvement,” Coyotes general manager Don Maloney said in a statement released by the team on Friday evening. “Shane’s actually begun light workouts in Glendale but his status, as of today, is ‘week to week’ versus ‘day to day.’ Everybody responds differently to medications so there’s still some uncertainty. The good news is he’s progressing and we’ll continue to monitor his progress.

“He’s disappointed but he’s in good spirits,” Maloney added. “The good thing is he’s feeling better every day. If he was stuck in neutral that’s different, but he isn’t. He’s getting more energy each day and becoming more active. Hopefully that trend continues.”

(Gif via @Corkgaines)

• The Rink of Dreams: One Mich. family created an outdoor hockey paradise

Many of the previous 399 were highlight reel plays and incredible individual efforts. The milestone goal was scored in most anti-climactic way possible: Into an empty net.

It took Ovechkin just 634 games to reach the milestone and he did it before his 29th birthday. He is just the 89th player in league history to score 400 goals.

NHL referees have been pretty generous in recent years when it comes to awarding penalty shots. Plays like this on Friday night in New York are a pretty nice example.

Christmas came a few days early for Cal Clutterbuck.

In a philosophical question that extends back to the team’s Stanley Cup matchup, Friday night’s game in New Jersey between the Devils and Ducks will be another matchup of defense versus offense. The Devils enter the game allowing the eighth-fewest goals per game in the league, while the Ducks boast the league’s third-highest goal scoring output. In short: Something’s gotta give.

• Time to panic in Minnesota?